Speaker 1: You're listening to Cougar Sports with Ben Krettl, and it's
time for Crewing the Cougars and inside look at the
latest news on the recruiting trail surrounding Cougar athletics.
Speaker 2: Welcome back to Couger Sports here on one O three nine.
On you there, Ronald three man.
Speaker 3: We were here holding down for a second for being credal.
Speaker 4: We are going to get out too the hotlines momentarily. Oh,
Banker's back, I'm gonna turn it back over to him.
Mike's Hobin.
Speaker 5: Alrighty guys, let's get into this cruit and the Cougars segment.
And I can't wait to talk some two thousand and
twenty six recruiting class here on your Utah ESPN Radio
Network with Cougar Sports Insider, Recruiting Insider Moose Bingham, former
BUYU kicker, punter, special team or Extraordinair Moose.
Speaker 4: How you living, buddy, Ben?
Speaker 2: I am hein. I actually just got tickets for the
up Turt Bowl. I'll be going there for a good
old fob. Can't wait to see Cougar Nation in the
second best state in the Union.
Speaker 5: Well, hey, you're living in Tampa now, right, yeah.
Speaker 2: I'm only in an our hour fifteen from Orlando. I
might go see Rider Lions. Tell them what's up? Go cat?
Speaker 5: Oh my, how many times have you got over to
like Universal Studios in Disney World since you moved there
to Tampa.
Speaker 2: I was just there with my family over Thanksgiving. But
I don't go there very often. I get motion sickness
because I'm an old man. Now, Ben, I don't even
ride the rides, but I have a glorious time there
nonetheless love it.
Speaker 5: Man, Well, I'm glad you're doing well. Look I'll tell
you who's doing well right now. Colodia taking these BYU
Cougar football team, this Bo Cougar football team and players.
They just signed a top twenty one class in the
college ball. This is the best class recruiting class in
bya football history. I want to break it all down
with you.
Speaker 4: Number one. What's that hey man.
Speaker 2: Treats about it? It's the best class about twenty rankings.
My goodness, I'm hyped about this class.
Speaker 4: Yeah, what do you like about it? Specifically? What do
you make of the twenty twenty six commitment list?
Speaker 2: Well, right now, you look at the twenty five class,
our top signing from the twenty five class what have
been probably about number seven or eighth in this class.
That's the depths up top, which is absolutely nuts. And
then you start getting into the weeds of this class.
I mean, I like the bottom players. Devon Eka is
a stut but you get all the way to the
top rider Lions. We haven't had a quarterback like Listen
Ben Olsen. Let's freaking go.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 5: I mean Lucy tom wy Peer who played started produced.
Speaker 4: As a true freshman this year.
Speaker 5: It was a fifty ninth rated overall class and we
saw what Doocy did. You can also add, you know,
the the transfer portal players I guess to the to
the list tel Celia Khanna ended up being a good
player for the Kougs. You combine all that, you're like, man,
well this the future is bright for BYU.
Speaker 2: Well look at what Colonie is doing. The current roster
is ranked between sixty and eighty, depending on what fight
you go after. With a roster like that, it's a
good roster, but it's not an NFL caliber roster. Signing
classes in the top twenty five that brings us an
NFL caliber type roster, where if you're signing guys in
the top two fifty. Those are guys that are projected
to the NFL draft picks, and we have about six
or seven of them just from this class.
Speaker 5: Crazy times, man, you have Rider, Lions, Botmoltalo, Brock, Harris,
Adam Bywater, Tygetchi, all four stars, Jerem Poula, Lopetti, Muala,
Kennan Pula. I don't know if By's had every of
these many four stars in a signing class. Who's your favorite?
Frost and why oh.
Speaker 2: You're asked me to pick my favorite child? Day have Ben?
I love him all equally, But my goodness, there's some
absolute star. It's like, let's talk about writer. Writer should
be a five star quarterback. He was robbed. He's an
absolute dog wolf wolf when you see him on the field,
bob let Metallo. When he switched to tackle, I said,
that's a horrible mistake. Then I watched him the first day,
I'm like, what a genius? Whoever told him to move?
Because he was amazing playing offensive line and he improved
leaps and bounds throughout the season. But I still love
him at three tech Rock Harris, he is massively under raked,
just disgustingly so he's rated an eighth in his position. No,
that kid should be number one. He's an absolute dude.
Adam Bywater was an absolute star, and when I watch Adam,
I'm like, this kid is the true ty. I haven't
watched as much film on him, but I really like
his potential. He can block. He's just like Brock. I
mean he's almost a twin. And then right below them
you have actual twins in Jaron and Kennan Gula. Those
kids are two of my favorites. I've been watching them
since their freshman year. Loved their family, Kirson Pula, all
of them are awesome. And then we get Repeitie Malala
in there, Repeiti Juny. He's an absolute dog Juny. He
took over games where they're like, oh, you only had
three sacks, and I'm like, I was watching the game
and whoever's doing stats at Orum is doing it long.
The kid had like six sacks a game. I mean,
he's one of the kids. I had an NFL scout
called me and said, who should I be watching at Orum?
And like, watch Judy because that Milala kid is going
to be an absolute force on the defensive line. I
love Jack Tanner he's a dude. He reminds me a
lot of Jackson powers Johnson, which is the highest compliment
I can give to any interior alignment. I mean, he's
a kid that can lock down forever. The receiver from Washington,
Terrence Sariak, that kid is amazing. You get Braston Linsley
where you're getting him away from SEC schools, getting an
Arkansas kid like that. Kalawaey Aconna was a four star,
got dropped down to a three star. I need to
question some of these rating systems because I think they
might be blind, because kalaway Acona might have the most
NFL potential when we get him to his natural position
of safety or linebacker, I don't know where he's gonna
end up. Collway is an absolute force and he would
have been one of the top five recruits in almost
any class, and we would have been over the moon
to get them. Legend Glass. You watch him receiver extraordinari
He runs a four to four. He says he's six
to one. Yeah, coming out of high school. I was
six to though. I don't know if he's six one,
but he's an absolute force there. Matthew Mason, I actually
they're a breakdown of Matthew Mason going into the season
before he committed to BYU, And I'm like, this is
a hitting gym right here. Graham Livingston there hasn't been
as a productive or receiver in the state possibly ever,
and he did it in less games. Graham Livingston is
the absolute truth, Harper or another tight end that you
can just throw into the fray that you love. Stefani
a Latini, I mean any Latinis you can get here.
He's a stud coming out of Saint Francis in California.
Antonio Johnson like him at corner six three and a half.
I mean, where do you fight in these giants playing corner?
Another d lineman in Cologne, NAHMANI I love that kid.
Justice Brayle, I mean er Brathwaite. I'm talking a lot.
Speaker 3: So that's a lot.
Speaker 2: But Justice is a stud coming out of Higley in Gilbert, Arizona.
And then sign me back down to the VAUG. Definitely
solid class from top to bottom. When you're lowest rate
is a three star eighty four, You're just like, Okay,
this class is stacked.
Speaker 4: It's truly a great day to be a Cougar.
Speaker 5: Look, I was listening to Brian Santiago recently, and and
you know, one of the things that he.
Speaker 4: Discussed was investing.
Speaker 5: In in the future of BYU and investing in these
student athletes that can enter to learn and then go
forth to serve. You bring in high level talent, high
level kids that are going to ball out on the
field and also off the field, and I think, you know,
anything is possible. I think the board of trustees, I
feel like the byus An institution. Obviously the athletic department
has been bought in, but I feel like everybody else
is getting bought in now with the foundational why behind
everything we do, and there's better alignment now than ever,
the alignment of the silos that I've been preaching from
my hope it is fondly coming to fruition.
Speaker 2: I believe you're correct, and I haven't said that like
ever since I've been looking at the YU. But it
seems like everyone's like, Hey, when we have a good
football program, good things happen all throughout campus. Why not
invest in the football program, invest in the basketball program,
invest in athletics so that we can actually get things
done and make BYU cool again.
Speaker 5: Well, we're on the trend right now towards that. We
got Moose Bingham here on your Utah. ESPN ready to
network a little Crewton the Cougars segment and delving into
all the knicks and crimes of this twenty twenty six
class as b what you football prepares for their pop
tards bawl the best ball outside of the CFP. It's
the it's a nice consolation prize. Noeubt about it. But
you look at BYU season, these back to back seasons,
and it's it's it's the glory days. Now you look
at twenty twenty, twenty twenty one, twenty twenty two, there's
a little drop off in twenty twenty three, but then
we got back into prominence the last two years. What
Kalani has able to accomplish since twenty twenty is nothing
short of remarkable.
Speaker 4: It truly is the.
Speaker 5: Glory days that our forefathers talked about in the modern era.
Speaker 2: It absolutely is. And what you see from these guys
they completely believe in themselves. This isn't an NFL roster
by any stretch of the imagination, but Lani's preaching of
love has really dictated one score games. When these guys
get behind of two scores, they're like, it doesn't matter,
We're gonna come back and win. The belief in that
locker room is absolutely phenomenal, and it's just fun to
watch them really outform where they're at. I mean, this
is a team where you're like, I I love watching
these guys. They put forth a ton of effort and
they really have gone above and beyond reflect who their
head coaches on the field, and it's fun to see
what this twenty twenty five roster has done.
Speaker 5: Ronald at the end of the day, right, you're gonna
look at all these prospects as they come into BYU
and you hope that bay you can retain them all.
I look at last year's class, Lemson Waller is in
the transfer portal, but it looks like for the most part,
everybody else, Actually Cale Breslin went to Montana State.
Speaker 4: If I'm not mistaken, I.
Speaker 5: Think everybody else is still committed, still bought it.
Speaker 4: So you have a little bit of attrition.
Speaker 5: Does BYU experience less attrition than most schools? And is
there anybody that you could compare BYU two? As it pretension,
they may maybe their retention of their recruiting classes under Lane.
Speaker 2: This is an interesting question. It used to be Stanford
had incredible retention, but it was because they couldn't take
any transfers in any mid year enroll ease, so they
were very selective about who they brought in. With BYU,
they create such an amazing environment from the teachers, to
the student body to the coaches, that kids just don't
want to leave. And most of the time they not
forced out. A lot of schools that's take a few
kids force out the rest, but by he does a
great job getting kids to graduate, helping them all throughout life,
and even if they don't make it through forever and ever,
it's a different atmosphere and I love what they're doing
and how they're developing kids. You even look back to
twenty twenty four, you're seeing volatile thoughts, wall of really
coming into his own. You're seeing a lot of these
guys where you're like Trey Anderson or Alexander Sorry, he
is an absolute force. You're watching Kenny Lyttle come into
his own. A lot of these guys. You're like, this
is a phenomenal group, and you see a lot of
different kids contributing, and I love to see that they
buy in the b YU. If you buy in the BYU,
you will be successful. I can tell you that right now.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's a.
Speaker 5: It's intriguing time, no doubt in BAU football history b YU.
Though I've asked this question a lot of BYU football
players that play to BYU and are seeing what we're
seeing right now. B YU wasn't able to beat and
even compete against Texas Tech, an elite team.
Speaker 4: We're a great team, Okay.
Speaker 5: How far away are they from becoming an elite team
right now?
Speaker 4: You would you say?
Speaker 5: Because from a point total, standpoint competition standpoint right, it
seems as if you know by you still far away
from closing that gap.
Speaker 4: What say you?
Speaker 2: I would actually have to agree. I don't need to
be a bearer of that news. But BYU has honestly
like a seventy roster when you look at the talent gap.
Excess Tech has probably a top and fifteen roster in
the country based off of stars, based off of stats.
For BYU to be competitive in that game, they need
to have a roster that's at least top thirty. And
this first class in twenty twenty six is really starting
to change the way that it's seem because last year
our overall rank was fifty nine. The year before that,
when you're looking into twenty twenty four, it was sixty two.
So we still have a lot of those guys. Some
of them have really stepped it up, but it takes
a minute to be there to really get to the
roster that you need. And I think Justin Anderson is
really stepping it up now. And he's been in the
program for the last couple of years, but this is
the first told class where he's been recruiting kids since
they were sophomores freshmen and bringing them in and really
loving them up with that amount of time and making
sure that they come to BYU.
Speaker 5: My guy MOUs Bingham Here on your Utah, ESPN Radio, Neverica,
Little Cruton, the Cougar Segment and it's brought to you
by Odion Menswear, Odeon Menswear dot Com, uh VIP Products,
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Couple last things before I let you go, I look
back at the twoenty and twenty signing class. Okay, body
schoonover Cody Apps, Tate Romney, Logan Peeley, Alex Mouti, as Kowfusi,
Michael Harper, Josh Wilson, Devin Downing, Preston Rex Sol, Jamiava Peters,
Isaiah Perez, Miles Davis, Josh Larson, Nu Kuhlou ahlu CoA Eldridge,
Jake Griffin, Chris Jackson, Terrence Fall, Dean Jones, p D two,
Polo two, John Nelson, Jock Wilson, uh tyber Kinkleuropat Shone, Moa,
Isaiah Tupo, Tuapolo to Lai, Bruce Garrett, Drason havea Sittalingijvea
and then DeVante Henry Cole. You look at that, it's
like that crazy like how how crazy like? Look at
how far boy has come? Look Askafusi is still on
the roster, Boddy screwed over. Both of those guys are contributor.
Cody Apps ended up transferring and then essentially retiring. Tate Romney.
I think he's still at a SU right. I don't
know how much he's playing in a Okay, he opted
in the portal, how I have to pull up his stats.
I don't know how good he was last year for
a issue. Logan Peeley ended up transferring to Utah State.
Alex Moutie I don't know whatever happened to Alex. Michael
Harper's at Montana's Montana. I think University of Montana. Josh
Wilson ended up kind of retiring. I think medically retiring,
or maybe he graduated after his career was done. Devin
Downing is at Utah Tech. Preston Rex still at BYU.
He's in the running back room now is a RB
three sol Jiamiava Peters ended up transferring to New Mexico.
Isaiah Perez I think went to Eastern Washington transfer. Miles
Davis transferred to Utah State. Josh Larson I think medically retired.
Nu Koluvihilu ended up in the portal, but I don't
know if he ended up anywhere. CoA Eldridge I believe
is he at University of Hawaii. Co Eldridge, Okay. Jake
Griffin's in the portal. Chris Jackson I think graduated or
into the portal and never got back. I think he
was at University of Hawaii as well, though. Terrence fall
I think medically retired. Dean Jones went to Northern Colorado.
If I'm not mistaken, Pete, he's still on the roster.
I think he's still on the bou roster, still working
his way. John Nelson was great John Nelson. You can
make an argument John Nelson so far in this class,
the best player in this class. Body Scooover's got something
to say about it. But my guy John Nelson, the
Salem Sandman, who was like ranked like twentieth on the
twenty four to seven Sports rankings, Kay was maybe the
best guy in this class. Jock Wilson got injured, never
really played ty ber Is Ti where he retired went
the portal. I don't know if he ended up anywhere.
Henklew Apati obviously a good play for Buyu yep Shoni
mo Shooni moa.
Speaker 4: That's gonna be a good one of it.
Speaker 5: He was ranked like last. He didn't even have any stars.
Uh Isaiah two pole. I don't know where Isaiah went.
Bruce Garrett like quit after like three practices at by
you running back out of Pleasant Grove, Texas. Drason Havevea,
I don't think he ever really played at Buyu. DeVante
Andry Cole got to springball and then left. I mean,
that's crazy how much attrition is from that twenty twenty
signing class when I go through that, and that was
overall ranked eighty first in the concept by the way.
Speaker 2: And that's a hard class because you're pulling up the
COVID year, so you're just like, can we really evaluate
these kids where they at? And that's what's really hard.
But that's the thing with that year. There were a
lethora of misses where you're just like, oh, no, what
has happened here? Because we need to not be eighty
We need to be a quarter of that at a
composite rate of twenty to be a really successful team.
And the sad thing is you see these kids that
hop in the portal. None of them are really going
to other big time programs beside like Tate Romney. Yep,
You're like, okay, where these guys valued at at the
end of the day, And they're not valued high in
recruiting circles. They're going to lower G five teams or
FCS teams. So this whole class was probably a miss
in my mind, but it's definitely gotten better in the
last few years. I mean, like the twenty twenty one
class you hopped up almost twenty spots when you got
Logan Foto Raiders of Moody, John Henry Daily guys that
are absolute contributors and absolute dudes. But then it took
a steep drop. You had Idiah Glasker in that class.
That's obviously amazing. Josh Sink hopped in the portal and
went to Vanderbilt and is playing really well. You still
have other guys in there where you're like, okay, these
are absolute dudes. Well, that's kind of the hard thing
where it's like you don't want to be in the
portal too much. You want to develop the high school kids,
and you can only develop them if there's some talent
in there and they just wasn't talent in the early
twenty twenty classes.
Speaker 5: Crazy times, Moose Bingham Ladies and gentlemen, Moose. Best way
to support you, what you do.
Speaker 4: How you do it?
Speaker 2: Oh, just follow me on Twitter at MOOSB nine. I
still have recruiting for parents out. If you think your
kid is good enough, let's get him rated, Let's see
where he's at and see if he can help DYU
get into that immortal status of a top twenty recruiting class.
Speaker 5: Love it most who always appreciate your time, man, great
content as always.
Speaker 2: Oh appreciate you, Ben, have a merry Christmas and hopefully
you get out into the palmp tarts full so you
can come golf and with me and Ronald Weaver.
Speaker 4: The third let's go appreciate you man, love you.
Speaker 5: That's Moose Bingham, ladies and gentlemen, and it was brought
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We'll be back.
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Speaker 4: Let's get out to the hotline.
Speaker 5: Welcome to Jackson, payin at the Desert News Action Jackson,
how thatck are you buddy.
Speaker 3: What's some goods.
Speaker 2: I'm doing well.
Speaker 5: Merry Christmas, Hey, Merry Christmas, Happy holidays. And uh Man,
I think you've probably taken uh you've been busy. We
were talking with uh with k Y after the win
over UC Riverside and he mentioned that the trip out
to MSG in New York was exhausted.
Speaker 4: That road trick was pretty tough. How how tough was
it for you, oh man?
Speaker 3: Well, I went straight from the Big twelve title game
in Arlington rights in New York, so I was gone
for a week. My wife had finals and I missed
her entire finals week and came home like she picked
me up from the airport straight from her last final.
So I think I win the absence tee husband of
the Year award. But it was fun, man, it was
a New York is New York's a frill. I mean,
I'm an East Coast guy, so kind of like being
back to my element ate. A lot of good pizza.
Had some good food in Texas too, And I'm just
happy that the New York trip was a bit happier
in the end than the Arlington trip was. And the
Cougar's got to win, no.
Speaker 4: Doubt about it was.
Speaker 5: It was great to see DYU basketball get an awesome
win and just a tremendous performance in the second half
from AJ and the BA men's basketball team. We're trending
once again to experiencing one of an iconic season when
you combined BYU football and BYU basketball. Last year eleven
and two went over the Colorado Buffs and an alible
Bowl win. It was was fantastic, It was awesome and
then a sweet sixteen run and we considered that probably
one of the best seasons, one of the best years
in BYU athletics history.
Speaker 4: Are we about to top that this year? Jackson?
Speaker 2: Oh, it's got it.
Speaker 3: They got a toping, right. I mean last year there
was the disappointment of not making the big twelfth title game.
Like DYU lost two games this year in football, and
both of them or the top five teams, and in
Texas Tech that's a team that that's good enough to
play in a national championship game. They didn't have a
bad loss this year like they did last year against Kansas,
and I mean, assuming they take care of business against
Georgia Tech, which I mean Kalani Klonny loves these Bowl games, man.
He coaches, well in them, it feels like it means
something of this BYU team and they're not gonna have
a ton of opt out it's opt outs. It sounds like,
so I imagine they're gonna get the Winever Charge oft Tech.
That's a twelve win season and then you go to
the Sweet sixteen again at.
Speaker 2: The very least.
Speaker 3: I mean, yeah, that's got to be better than last year.
It's a it's a thrilling time in Provo, and you
got to think that this BA basketball team can make
it past the sweet sixteen as well. Obviously it might
be a little early to talk final four. You need
a little more from their bench. And uh but I
mean they're they're a sweet sixteen team. They're they're unbelievable.
Speaker 4: You mentioned opt outs.
Speaker 5: How much attrition do you think we experience in that
pop dark Well, how many guys will be opting out
and not playing in that U BYU Georgia Tech game.
I don't know.
Speaker 3: I mean, I think you always have a few just
because that's how just things go. But I think for
the most part, guys want to play in this game.
And then when I have that one last shot, I mean,
thinking about the seniors on this team, and the incredible
senior leadership that Yu's had this season, and just I
mean the Tanner Walls and the Chase Roberts and that
group that's really propelled this this historic stretch of BA football.
Like all those guys are gonna want to play one
last ride, right like Carson Ryan And but I don't know,
I mean, it just feels like it feels like these
ball games like Kalani's got the right mindset about these
ball games. It's a reward, but it's also another chance
to prove yourself and make a statement. And after the
Ali Moi Bowl last year, that was just such a blast.
And now obviously maybe the opponent doesn't have the same
shine as as Colorado with coach Prime and a Heisman winner,
But it's the Pop Tart Bowl, right, Like that's the
viral Bowl. Like if you have a great performance in
the Pop Tart Bowl, like people are gonna remember that
because for whatever reason, the Pop Tart Bowl just always
finds its way on social media to be the next
viral thing. So yeah, I mean, I really think this
is a ball game You're gonna see most of BYU
playing it, and it should be fun have Sonny Orlando
in December. I mean, you can who can beat that?
Speaker 4: It's a it's a great bowl destination. Notre Dame.
Speaker 5: Notre Dame opted out, I've been told because there were
too many opt outs of key players, and uh, you know,
obviously they felt jaded, they felt attacked, they felt uh disadvantaged.
They felt like the ACC and ESPN collaborated a collusion, right,
Uh that that they they they they pitted uh this,
you know, ESPN and and the ACC kind of went
up against the fighting Irish now named the quitting Irish.
Speaker 4: What do you make of that situation? The opt out
due to the opt outs?
Speaker 3: You know, I'm just I'm gonna try and sound remain
christ like here, Ben, but I've always hated Notre Dame.
I hate everything about him, that is the school. I
just can't stand the just the pretentiousness and the snobbery.
And it's just like, maybe they opted out because of
the opt outs, right, maybe I'll give them the betefit.
Speaker 1: Of the doubt.
Speaker 3: But at the same time, just given just the snootiness
of that program and all the drama surrounding it, just
the optics of opting out are so weird. And it
just makes you look like such a loser and just
I mean, you gotta play the games right, like give
your seniors. My thing is, it's like college FOOTBA team
should play college football. If you go to a bowl game,
that's a reward, Like, yeah, he didn't make the playoff.
But I think at the end of the day, like
we kind of uncovered this year that the playoff system
is inherently flawed because these committee members choose to value
certain brands and logos and teams and will bend over
backwards to keep you know, a three lost Alabama team
in the playoff, but a team like BYU that has
a clear playoff resume.
Speaker 2: Isn't gonna make the cut. Like it's just it's it's
it's it's you know, there's it's.
Speaker 3: A broken system.
Speaker 2: And so I think at the end of the day,
like you could at least hang your head on.
Speaker 3: Like okay, well you could you could say the system
is broken and play the game and give your seniors
one last chance to play. Like I just feel bad
for all the seniors that aren't gonna be able to
play in that game and have one last ride, just
because it's like I don't know, man, like you only
get so many times just to to suit up with
the boys, like take that opportunity. It's just it's at
the end of the day, it's sad, just because I
feel for those kids and those families that aren't gonna
get a last game, you know. But at the same time,
it's Notre Dame. Like I know, like I said before,
I just don't like Notre Dame. I'm biased, but uh,
it's one of those things where it's like, well, of
course Notre Dame took their bowl and went home, like
that's just what they do. It's yeah, they had a
great opportunity to change the narrative and appear more and
more chill, right, and they didn't do that, So sucks
for them.
Speaker 5: Jackson Payne dese Red News. You're on ESPN the Fan, Jackson,
what have you been working on over at the Desert News.
Speaker 3: Oh, man, lots of fun stuff. Just typically write a
lot of basketball stories obviously, like I said, I was
in New York for the game, a lot of basketball,
a lot of football. Just plugging away. Man, it's fun
times the BYU.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's truly is is Uh.
Speaker 5: What's the biggest concern right now for b YU athletics.
Would you say, obviously there's a ton of momentum, ton
of positivity. Uh, b YU doing tremendous things. What's the
biggest concern you have regarding bo athletics right now?
Speaker 3: Oh man, that's a good question. I don't really think
about that a lot because it just feels like there's
so much good stuff going on.
Speaker 2: But uh, I don't know.
Speaker 3: I mean just I just think NIL on the transfer
portal just obviously b YU has the resources to compete
and io wise, but I just think you're gonna miss
You're gonna you're gonna miss out on kids of it occasionally,
and guys will leave and it's gonna be Here's there's
always gonna be attrition that way, right, And I just
think that's that's not really a BYU problem, that's an
everywhere problem. And then of course, if if the darkest
fear of a of a super league and college football
happens and BYU doesn't make the cut, like that's that's
way down the line. That's like the dystopian future type
of fear there. But I just feel like NI on
the transferport are still just so bizarre, Like there's just
so much going on there, and I really feel like
obviously b YU is equips and prepared to handle that,
and they've done well so far. But it's just it's
always gonna create problems, and so I think that's mainly
the main thing.
Speaker 4: Let's talk Cougar's in the pros here for a moment.
Speaker 5: BYU has produced some fantastic football players over the last decade,
especially under Kilane, right, Like you do still have some
holdovers from the from the Bronco Mendenhall era too, Kyle VANOI,
Fred Warner doing tremendous things. There's a little bit of
cross pollination between the siess Fred Warner played for Bronco
and for Kilani. But how is BYU doing in the
NFL right now comparative to maybe what they've done in
the past. Do you think these former Cougar's balling out
in the league? What stands out to you?
Speaker 3: I mean, aside from like the Steve Young era, it
just feels like this is the most visible BYU has
been at the NFL level. Like you can make the
case that Puku and Aku is the best receiver in
the NFL and he's a BYU guy. Fred Warner best
linebacker in the NFL. Obviously he's hurt, but he's the
kind of guy that shows up on podcasts and I
mean he's making headlines off the field, not a bad way,
but that's just a visible guy. And Kyle van Noy
is still doing his thing. And for a team like
the Ravens that is just such a rabid fan base.
Like I mean, I have a bunch of friends out
a Ravens fans and they're like, you know, Kyvin nois
the all time Ravens legend now, like they just love him.
That's a dude that like they will worship forever in
Baltimore just because he kind of embodies that that blue
collar Baltimore spirit. And you know, you got to think
some of that comes from BYU. Like I think when
they talk about walk on mentality a lot with some
of these workers that might get drafted later come out
of nowhere in the NFL, and I feel like BYU
kind of breaths some of that walk on mentality. Not
to say that they walked on at BYU, but it's
just like there's someone at BYU that puts a chip
on your shoulder and you want to prove yourself and
I really think you've seen that in the NFL and
guys like Ryan Rico, you know, the top five punter
in the NFL potentially, and you know the Tyler Algiers
of the world that that plug away and do good
things as well. Just it does really feel like an
awesome group of BYU athletes right now in the pros
and on with The only thing I wish is that
Jamal Williams is out there still because he's such a
hoot and he was so great at represent the why
as well. But yeah, really awesome group of Cougars right now.
It's just that's one of the best feaders in Kilane's
cap is He's put some amazing players in the NFL
that continue to do damage.
Speaker 5: Let me revert back to the VAU football roster for
a moment. We've seen Lemson Waller jump into the portal,
Dom McKenzie jump into the portal. Two wide receivers. You
have Jake Griffin recently that jumped into the portal. What
type of attrition do you do you think will have
of like players that are yeah, look I'm a little
you know, said on le Mason and Dom. Both of
those guys had a lot of P four offers tremendously talented,
just didn't get to play a whole lot this year,
but they have potential to be fantastic within a BYU offense.
I think Jake Griffin, he's got two years of eligibility,
maybe his time is is uh, it's his time to transfer,
Like just couldn't get into the rotation.
Speaker 4: There's some really good you know tackles.
Speaker 5: Andrew Williams, Cayden Chittis the big strong dudes that he's
having to compete against. What what are you seeing maybe
uh forecasted in the transfer portal for BYU.
Speaker 4: How much attrition?
Speaker 3: I don't know, Probably similar to last year. I mean
they lost a couple of key guys like a Harrison
Tagger or Crew Wakely, But I don't know, it just
feels like DYU they seem to avoided major transfer portal catastrophe, right,
I mean, I haven't really heard any rumblings or anything
just yet. It just feels like some of that, some
of those guys like the little Mason Waller's maybe that
the talented guys that that couldn't really find their place
on the field this year are gonna be the ones
that maybe step away from the program and it's just
a bummer and going back, Like I'm not anti Portal
and I'm not anti Niol's like I want every kid
to have a chance to play, but it's also like
it just I missed the days of when you could
have a four year guide developing your program and kind
of be a building block.
Speaker 2: Eventually, right, Like I miss I missed that.
Speaker 3: And you know, I feel like Yu's kept a lot
of those guys lately and they've been able to withstand it.
But it's just it's a bummer when a guy like
lit Mason Waller, who's a really talented receiver and you
wanted to see what he could do, and maybe he
wasn't ready or maybe the team wasn't ready for him
to step in year one, Like who knows what happened,
but it's a bummer that you won't get to see
him grow and develop.
Speaker 2: In one place.
Speaker 3: But that's just the name of the game in college
in colge football right now, Like that's just guys. Guys
need opportunities, and I'm not I don't want to take
that away from anyone. Like I'm not anti Portal, I'm
not anti Nil. It's just it's a bummer that things
change to where it's not a consistent group you're in
a year out. But it's also fun because you get
to see new faces like a Carson Ryan or a
Bear Bachmeyer come in and make some make some magic
happen out of the portal.
Speaker 5: Which transfer hurt by you the most this past offseason,
guys like Josh Singh, Harrison Taggart, Keelan Marion.
Speaker 4: You can also look at.
Speaker 5: Well, you know, technically like Hinckley had jumped into the portal,
he didn't find his way, you know, to anywhere else.
He didn't get his eligibility back. I guess we can,
you know, I'm just looking at the portal list here.
David Loti went over to Boise State, you know that one.
Maybe hurting Crew Wakeley to Purdue. Cody EPs went to
Western Kentucky before retiring. Jackson Bowers could have used him
maybe at the tight end spot, possibly alongside Carson Ryan.
I know Kean need looked pretty good, but he went
to Oregon State. Miles Davis had a pretty good season
at Utah State. You could have used it an additional
running back, right, you were a little thin in that
RB room. You had to resort to, you know, other
players on the defense side of the ball. Which one
hurt the most, do you think?
Speaker 3: I think it's Kill and Marion. I mean, when you
have a third year receiver in your program, I think
that's so huge. And just Chas and Parker were great
this year. Carson Ryan was great, but having that third
receiver really would have helped YU. I just I never
really felt like they had.
Speaker 2: It.
Speaker 3: Always felt like they were just a little bit short
in the pass catching department. And that's not a detrimentscy
the offense, like Barre did so much on the ground,
LJS Offensive Player of the Year. Like I said, Chason
Parker were great, Carson was great. You had a great
offense at YU, but I think one more receiver could
have taken it to the next level. And especially a
guy like mary And who's kind of he can stretch
the field in the return game as well.
Speaker 2: He can do some good.
Speaker 3: Things as we saw last year obviously. And then you
know in spring ball, they were really creative with how
they were getting him to the football. It felt like
they were lighting him up in all sorts of places.
I was really intrigued by what they were gonna do
with Kiel and Mary in this year, and then of
course he jumps in the portal. Yeah, I mean, I
think I think another receiver would have really helped this
BYuT but then obviously Hinkley as well, if like that's
super unfortunate. I just think I hate when the NC
double lake it's in their own way and tries to,
you know, get keep kids from from getting to play
some more. And it felt like Hinckley kind of got
Delta a raw deal there. But you know, I mean,
with with Moa getting hurt, having Hinkley would have been
awesome as kind of the pass catching back, the change
of pace back. I'm I'm I'm just astonished that LJ
handled the workload that he did so well this year.
I mean, obviously he had his injury mid season kind
of in the Iowa State game, and he got shaken
up in another a couple other games, but you know,
he just felt like with with the workload that he had,
he handled it so well and dominated, especially towards the
end of the season. But having another running back would
have been so nice just to you know, share the
wealth a little bit and maybe keep LJ a little fresher.
But Obviously it's a moot point by you want eleven
to two, and they had a great offense. But you know,
I think, like I said earlier, Mary and having that
third receiver as like a game, having a third game
changing receiver potentially is would have been huge for this offense.
Speaker 5: Take out Bear Bach mind l J. Who can't you
lose in the portal this offseason? Minus like I said,
LJ and Bear Backerer, let's say that they're coming back.
Speaker 3: Hmmm, assuming that he doesn't go pro. I would say
Isaiah Glasker just because you know, if if you're losing
Jack Kelly because he's going pro, and h Glasger when
he when he flashes, when he's at his best, he's
just he's unbelievable. Obviously this year he had some injuries
and maybe kind of an up and down season. Like
when he was good, he was really good. He was
never bad, but just the consistency might not have been
there one hundred percent of the time. But I just
feel like that's that's the guy that you want to
build your defense around. Up just an absolute physical Freaklinke Lasker,
I'd like that.
Speaker 5: Take can't lose Ig Gotta get him back. We'll see
how what he decides here going forward, Jackson, best way
to support you what you do, how you do it
for all of our listeners.
Speaker 3: Yeah, man at Jackson five pain on Twitter and Instagram,
read the des red News. Always putting stuff out there
and uh yeah always always love covering BYU and hopping
on the hopping on the show.
Speaker 4: Ben.
Speaker 3: It's a great time.
Speaker 5: Appreciate you Jackson. Great content is always uh. That segment
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